As the holidays are starting to come upon us I am itching for a mini vacation. With my new job, all I think about is travel, travel, travel & is there anything that really is better?? I love being able to get away, experience new walks of life, new cultures, & experiences. Even if it is just a quick weekend trip.

Traveling during the holidays is one of my favorite time of year to get out & see the world. The holidays are celebrated differently all around the world & seeing all the different festivities are such an amazing experience. I put together a little list of my favorite places I have traveled during the holidays over the years, & another list of bucket list locations I want to see one day.

Places I’ve Been:

New York City

New York during the holidays is the most magical experience anyone can ever have. There is something about the city full of Christmas decorations, Rockefeller Center with the massive tree & ice skating rink, it brings chills to me just thinking about it. I haven’t been to the city during the holidays in a few years & that is something that I miss beyond words. The window displays at Saks melt my merchant heart as they are truly the best of the best & something to see.

London

When we were 19 my cousin & I went to visit a family friend of ours in London where she was studying abroad. We took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday break & headed across the pond. That trip was my first time out of the country, first big trip without any parents, & first time seeing another culture. It was perfect. Strolling the streets of London town, bundled up, & treading in and out of the amazing Harrods store made me feel like I could do this forever. I haven’t been back to London since, but I cannot wait to take a trip again.

San Francisco

My second Christmas in Los Angeles my friends & I took a road trip up to San Francisco the week before Christmas. It was absolutely amazing. There is just something about bundling up, walking around a new city & shopping in Union Square that screamed this is a perfect Christmas trip! We drove over to Sausalito for a day & then I truly felt like I was home. All of the small shops & restaurants reminded me of my beach town in Connecticut & it was absolutely surreal.

Bucket List Holiday Trips:

German Christmas Markets

I never really thought of exploring the Christmas markets of Europe before my training this year for my new job as a travel agent. But as my trainers explained the ambiance of walking through the markets, with a hot coco in hand, & checking out the Kathe Wohlfahrt clocks & other handmade goodies, they had me sold. I would absolutely be lying if I said I didn’t start looking at options even as early as this year. But once reality set in & I remembered, oh year, I have a wedding to pay for… I decided my Euro Christmas is going to have to be put off a few years.

Aspen

So in the spirit of staying closer to home, I need to spend a holiday season in Aspen. Yes I just said I need. Colorado is one of the few states in the US that I haven’t been able to discover & I can think of no better time to visit then when there is snow on the ground & a hot coco in my hand. Sign me up!!

Photo credits: Christopher Dyer